Tag Archives: Hezbollah

On 28 January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underlined that ‘The Lebanese government and the Assad regime share responsibility for the consequences of the attacks emanating from their territories against the State of Israel,’ the Jerusalem Post reports. (more…)

Enemy convergence, referring to the joinder of previously unconnected enemies for the purpose of joint operations or resource sharing, is one of the principal rising national security concerns of the 21st century, according to Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme commander. The joining of drug cartels with terrorist organizations to bring weapons into the United States is a possible and dangerous business model representing the dark end of the spectrum of globalization, Stavridis said.

Since drug traffickers normally act to gain financial profit, for the right amount of money they could join forces with a terrorist organization having a political or military motive but lacking the required trafficking capabilities. According to Stavridis, there are already signs of shared operations between drug traffickers and terrorists, including Hezbollah. The future of national security rests on building alliances and partnerships, including between the military and the civilian sector, and the combination of soft and hard power, Stavridis said.

On Friday 3 May, and Sunday 5 May, the Israeli air force has carried out two strikes in Syria. While Israel has refused to comment on the strikes, an Israeli official has pointed out that both strikes were directed against shipments of Fateh-110 missiles (Iranian made missiles) that were allegedly shipped to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The strikes have prompted strong reactions both from Syria and from Iran. Syria in particular, alleged that the Israeli attacks amount to a declaration of war.

Israeli officials have maintained that Israel could launch a pre-emptive strike if Syria transfers chemical weapons to Hezbollah or al-Qaeda groups. There is growing concern that the government in Syria might lose control over its chemical weapons due to the on-going struggle in the country. In a movement characterized by military officials as ‘routine’, the Israeli army has moved its Iron Dome rocket defense system to Haifa, close to the border with Lebanon.